Tag: Agia Anna
(page 1 of 3)

Lobster pasta and freshly-caught sea urchins are two of the signature dishes that writer Heather Warburton recommends ordering at Spilia. It was one of her seven favourite restaurants on a recent trip to Mykonos.

Guest post by Heather Warburton

There are many reasons to go to Mykonos—the color of the water alone, the music, and the stunning villas—but, undoubtedly, the food scene will convince you. If you intend to eat light and vegetarian, you’ll find no better place, and then again, if you’re more into feta cheese and baklava, you’ll be just fine, too.

I spent five days in Mykonos in early July, and these were my favorite restaurants:

♦ Scorpios

Scorpios is one of the only places to succeed in being both a terrific restaurant, and a really fun party. On a charming stretch of Paraga Beach, Scorpios is a sprawling compound. There’s an indoor area that’s light and spacious, with comfortable couches and a well-designed bar. If you come early in the day (read: before noon), you might see people working on their laptops sipping a green juice. Outside there is one large bar, a deck, a beach with over 40 lounge “beds,” and finally, a restaurant.

Despite its massive size, Scorpios boasts impeccable, friendly service and an intimate vibe. Graze on tzatziki, hummus, and spicy pita chips while waiting for a table. They’ll be the best pita chips of your life. You’ll find a vegetable driven menu once seated, with Mykonian salads (tomatoes, capers, cucumbers and feta cheese), whole roasted fish with your choice of sauce, and so many others. (I loved the quinoa with raisins and the zucchini with fresh mint). Their cocktail list is particularly impressive and long, with innovative and not-overly-sweet takes on your spirit of choice.

Go for a late lunch or sunset dinner.

A sunset party scene on the Scorpios seafront

Please click on the link below to read about the other 6 restaurants that Heather recommends on Mykonos.

Rakkan Mykonos opened at Kalo Livadi beach on June 15 in the beachfront premises previously occupied by Monarch beach club…

… which has relocated to Platis Gialos beach for this year

Regular visitors will notice some big changes at Lia beach this year — like the new Lia Beach House, where guests can enjoy food and beverage service while relaxing on comfy sunbeds…

… and the completely renovated Liasti restaurant, which has been given a new look and has been rebranded as Liasti Mykonos, with fine dining and special DJ entertainment events

Also sporting a new look and brand this year is Sueno Village Beach Club at Paraga beach ….

… while Panormos Beach Resort has also undergone a massive transformation for 2016. After major renovations to its restaurant, bar and beachfront, it has been re-branded as Principauté de Mykonos — Panormos

Another new venue for summer 2016 is Jumeirah Mykonos Beach Resort at Agia Anna / Paraga

Beach bar news: The vibrant Mykonos beach bar & restaurant scene has grown bigger and even more exciting in 2016 with the arrival of brand-new drinking, dining and party establishments at Kalo Livadi, Lia, Platis Gialos and Agia Anna/Paraga.

Meanwhile, Panormos Beach Resort has unveiled significant changes to its bar, beachfront, and restaurant — enhancements that the resort says will take guests “to another level, offering a brand new decadent experience.” It also has changed its name, re-branding the resort with the moniker Principauté de Mykonos — Panormos. And two other restaurant / beach bar venues have been given new upmarket looks and branding — Liasti Beach Resort at Lia beach, and Sueno Village Beach Club at Paraga beach.

Please click on the link below to continue reading and view photos of all the new beach clubs.

One of the newest restaurants on Mykonos this summer is Pasají, which opened in July at Ornos beach. It features Mediterranean fusion cuisine and sushi, and boasts a chic beach bar and beachside swimming pool.

More choices: Mykonos is probably best known for its nightlife and beaches, but with well over 300 restaurants and bars catering to all tastes and budgets, it’s also one of the most interesting and exciting destinations for dining and drinking in all of the Greek Islands.

Choosing from such an extensive variety of restaurants is no easy task, especially since dozens are critically acclaimed and come highly recommended by websites and print publications geared to foodies and travellers.

Deciding where to go for a meal or cocktail became even more difficult this year when more than 20 newcomers arrived to spice up the island’s restaurant scene with additional flavours, tastes and unique dining environments.

In this third instalment, I’ll introduce you to 12 more new establishments that are waiting to whet your appetite when you visit Mykonos. Some of the restaurants opened as recently as July, while others launched at the end of last autumn. But this is the first summer all have been operating, and the feedback about food and service has been extremely favourable for most.

Not surprisingly, Greek and Mediterranean cuisine (including seafood) figure prominently on the menu selections at most of the new eateries. But in line with recent trends, several restaurants focus on sushi, while three specialize in either Thai, Indian or Italian dishes. Two are the Greek equivalent of “fast food” joints — grill houses that serve cheaply-priced gyros and souvlaki.

More than half of the new dining spots are located in Mykonos Town, while the rest are at beach resort areas including Agia Anna/Paraga, Ornos and Paradise.

Follow the link below to page 2, where you’ll find photos and information about the new restaurants.

Kitesurfers challenge the wind and waves off Mikri Vigla beach on Naxos. We shot this photograph from our dune- and seaview table at Kontos Taverna. Click on the picture to view a full-size image.

[Editor’s note: This is the third instalment in an ongoing series of reports about our Greek holiday in the spring of 2014. Click here to see Part 1, and click here to access Part 2. Full-size versions of the photos shown below can be viewed in the Naxos May 21 2014 album on Flickr.]

Wednesday May 21

Hikes & bikes: Warm, bright and breezy would summarize Wednesday succinctly. Morning brought a clear sky, light breeze and warm temperatures that would climb into the high 20s (Celsius) during the afternoon. Our big decision of the day would be figuring out whether to just chill out and relax for awhile at the Lianos Village Hotel pool, do something more active like hiking or cycling, or do a bit of both.

During our leisurely breakfast, Dan and I agreed to take a short hike along the coast in the Stelida area to get some exercise first, and then see how the rest of the day would unfold. So we left the hotel and made our way down the hill to the northwest end of Agios Prokopios beach, where we could access hiking trails on Cape Agios Prokopios from the end of the road near Avali restaurant.

This telephoto image, shot from our terrace at Lianos Village Hotel, shows two white and blue apartment buildings on a hill overlooking the north side of Cape Agios Prokopios. That’s Paros island across the channel. Walking trails on the Cape offer excellent views of the east coast of Paros.

Studio apartments along the road to Agios Prokopios beach

Pedestrians get a good view of the Naxos Imperial Hotel and its swimming pool as they pass the resort on the main Stelida road to Agios Prokopios beach

Pink bougainvillea provides a pop of bright colour on a white apartment building with blue trim next to the road to Agios Prokopios beach

Sheep snooze under a shade tree on a farm field in Stelida

Springflowers fill a churchyard at the northwest end of Agios Prokopios beach

Tall bamboo lines one side of a Stelida road at the end of Agios Prokopios beach

A view of Agios Prokopios beach from the dirt road shown in the photo above

Avali restaurant is located on the hillside at the northwest end of Agios Prokopios beach. Walking trails on Cape Agios Prokopios can be accessed from the road that runs past the restaurant. Avali has the best beach views of any restaurant at Agios Prokopios; its seaview terraces are perfect places to enjoy the Naxos coastal scenery while having a drink or meal.

Wildflowers flank a footpath on Cape Agios Prokopios

Please click on the 2 in the link below to continue reading and view dozens more photos from our day on Naxos.

Above is a brief video that I shot from the southern end of Plaka beach, near Orkos, during our May 22 bikeride along the west coast of Naxos. This and the six other short clips (below) accompany Part 3 of my trip report (posted above).